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How Often Should Laminate and Vinyl Flooring Be Replaced?

You are updating the flooring of your home and wondering which would be the most durable option. There are certain cost-related questions that you might have after few years of installment.

You might come across laminate and vinyl flooring. Vinyl floors are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin, while laminate is made from wood byproducts bonded with resins and is partially non-organic, unlike vinyl flooring.

Let’s now outline how durable can these be!

How often should laminate flooring be replaced?

Laminate floors should be replaced every 5 to 12 years. It can last for a long time, given that proper maintenance is provided. However, if it’s bought from well-known brands, you can keep it on for 20-50 years. Thick layers may resist damage, allowing to you replace them less often.

Water may easily seep into the layers, making it moist and wet. Over time, it may look dull due to discoloration of the surface as it is not non-permeable, water will be absorbed eventually.

However, the need for replacement will still depend on the traffic it has experienced.

How many years does laminate flooring last?

Its life expectancy may depend on many factors such as its quality and the care taken. Laminate flooring should be replaced every 10-25 years. It can last for 40-50 years, given that it is a high-end product, bought from branded shops.

Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be replaced this often if proper maintenance is present. Too much temperature fluctuation might also require frequent replacements.

Besides, it can last more especially when it has been refinished a lot of times. When the topcoats are changed frequently, it protects the layers underneath the surface. The adhesive used must also be high quality for the floors to last longer.

Can you replace a section of damaged laminate flooring?

Yes. You can easily replace a section of damaged laminate flooring if you have the right tools with you.

Even if the damaged section is in the middle of the room, you can easily replace the vinyl in less than 2 hours. However, you must also have spare pieces left with you if you want to replace a section.

How to replace laminate flooring pieces?

Removing and replacing damaged pieces can prove to be difficult if you’re not following all the steps correctly. These four easy steps will guide you through the process:

Remove the old laminate

Using a pry bar pull out the pieces along with the baseboards, foot molding, and any other low-lying trim components.

Clean the subfloor

Get rid of the nails, dirt, debris, and adhesive. Try to have a leveled subfloor. After that put in an appropriate amount of adhesive.

Lay the new pieces

Cut the pieces in adjustable shapes so it doesn’t interrupt the doorways.

Apply pressure to make it stable

After applying the pieces, wait for a while and use a hand roller for a plain surface. You might also need to reattach and secure baseboards and molding around the edges.

Can I put a new laminate floor over the old one?

Sure you can. Installing a new laminate floor over a damaged floor can be possible without having to adjust with the walls or the door frames.

The old laminate floor must be leveled, it should not have any nails, dents, contaminants, or bond breaker on it. Rigid laminate flooring doesn’t require the floor to be plain, a high-quality underlayment might work just fine underneath it.

However, without a high-quality underlayment, the old laminate floors may start to crumble. If the old laminate floor wasn’t installed with a strong adhesive with proper underlayment and has chances of coming up.

There’s a chance it might also create squeaky noises resulting from the collision of the two floors. To fix that you can add talcum powder in between the joints of the planks or blocks.

How much does it cost to remove and replace laminate flooring?

The costs vary due to many factors. On average, it may cost from $1.95 to $3 per square foot to remove the old laminate flooring. The rate tends to increase if more effort is required in the removal process. Especially if a strong adhesive was used earlier.

Moving to the next step, installing it will cost approximately $600-$3500. It also varies from country to country. It can be calculated more accurately according to the size of the house. The costs may add up to $20,000 for some houses.

Installing costs per square foot are $3 to $14. The thin layered planks of 7mm may cost $1-$3 while 12mm may start from $5. Premium brands tend to charge more for each type.

How often should vinyl flooring be replaced?

Vinyl flooring should be replaced every 10-20 years. Since it is made of non-organic elements, it’ll get less damaged naturally. However, it’ll be expected to be replaced more often if a softer vinyl is installed. It will be punctured easily if it experiences heavy traffic with no proper care taken.

Fortunately, not all types of vinyl flooring are made of soft material. The vinyl press flooring tends to be soft, it might have to be replaced as soon as a knife drop punctures its surface.

The temperatures also matter. Vinyl flooring cannot survive in high temperatures. Hence if it’s installed in a cold country it might have to be replaced every 15-10 years.

How long should vinyl flooring last?

Vinyl has a longer lifespan than other floors. It can last ranging from 10-30 years. It will need proper care and maintenance to last longer than 25 years.

Its lifespan also depends on the type of vinyl you’re aiming to purchase. The most common types are:

Peel and stick vinyl flooring

High-quality peel and stick vinyl flooring can last up to 30 years. However, as it is thin-layered, if it’s exposed to water frequently, it may last 5-20 years.

Vinyl sheet flooring

Cracks start to appear in a few conditions. It can last 10-20 years if it experiences less traffic.

Vinyl laminate flooring

Combined with two materials, vinyl laminate flooring can last 15-25 years. It must be installed properly with high-quality adhesive and underlayment.

Vinyl press flooring

As it doesn’t have any risk of the adhesive deteriorating, it may last longer. However, since it’s of a soft material, it may lay 10-30 years if only it experiences less traffic.

Waterproof Vinyl

Waterproof Vinyl may last up to 25 years. Water cannot seep through its layers, making it moist resistant, resisting damage as much as possible.

How much does it cost to replace vinyl flooring?

Replacing vinyl flooring is known to be budget-friendly, especially when you have so many types to install that there are many cheaper options to choose from.

It may cost somewhere around $400-$2800. On average, the costs for thin layered or sheet vinyl installation start from $1 per square foot, in most cases charging $15 per square yard.

There are different types of vinyl flooring and costs of replacement may differ for each type. Vinyl file replacement starts from $1.49 per square foot while vinyl plank press lock might cost $1.99 a square foot.

Climbing up the stairs of quality, we have luxury vinyl tiles and planks. A luxury vinyl tile can cost $5-$10, while its planks cost $5-$12.

Can you replace a section of vinyl flooring?

It is possible to replace a particular section of vinyl flooring when you have spare planks or rolls left.

Since all the planks are connected, the floated tiles will require you to temporarily unhook the undamaged tiles to reach the damaged ones so you can easily replace them without any professional help.

How to replace a piece of vinyl flooring?

Replacing a piece of vinyl flooring is not as hard as it sounds. You’ll need a high-quality adhesive, utility knife, putty knife, and a roller for the process.  Follow the steps below for an easy replacement:

Cut off the damaged piece

For this step, you’ll need a utility knife with a sharp blade, sharp enough to cut the tiles or the planks. Carefully cut off the damaged piece with the knife.

Pry up the damaged piece

Lift the separated damaged piece with a putty knife or any strong tool, making sure you do not damage the tiles or planks around it.

If a high-quality adhesive was used earlier during installment, you have to loosen it using a lighter or a hairdryer on that area to warm it up.

Prepare the spare piece

Once you’ve cleaned the subfloor after removing the damaged piece, you’ll need to prepare the new piece.

Match the size of the new piece with the damaged one, use it as a template, and cut off the unnecessary areas from the new piece to change its shape.

Apply adhesive on the subfloor

Gently pour the adhesive on the area. The amount of adhesive used must be according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Using too much glue will not allow it to be dry, leaving it unstable.

Place the spare piece on the area

Adjust the spare piece according to its shape and design soon after applying the adhesive.

You can get a leveled surface if you use a rolling pin over the top. Let it dry for a few days and prevent anyone from walking over the area.

On average, using laminate and vinyl planks as a whole requires you to replace them every 15 years. This makes it so important to take care of it by keeping it dry and preventing exposure to high temperatures to extend its lifespan up to 30 years.